Reeth encounter

REETH was basking in the northern sunshine, lovely. We left the lawnmowers cutting the greens for the Swaledale Festival, took alleyways of sweet cicely, and crossed Arkle Beck as a dozen riders on BMWs purred across.

The famous meadows were yellow and cream, a last bit of shade was shared with iridescent green flies and then we hit the climb at almost noon on the dot.

Said climb is up to Fremington Edge, the landmass that dominates Reeth, an ascent to 1,500 feet, quite steep, on metalled dead-end road barely wide enough for a car for the first mile.

It was our first dose of real summer heat this year, the radiation from all directions, the track, the rocks, the sky. At intervals benches provide long views of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale and a smashing look down on to Reeth settled in at the join of these two great valleys.

The road turns to stone, the slopes to scree, and then came the top, the heather and our sandwich stop.

For a mile the path follows a dry stone wall along the edge. On the other shoulder was heather burnt and brown, and beyond, tops Teesdale way. A fine green striped beetle scuttled on the track, and we made good and level progress.

Last time we were up here in June 1998 we dropped down quite soon, so this time we stayed up eventually to take a gentle grassy descent through remnants of the Fell Head Lead Mine workings, following a line of little cairns. A big cairn indicates a big viewpoint, to Booze and to Reeth.

A sharp, steep, barren rocky hairpin drop brought us to a riverside in bloom, the land bursting with the spring flowers you would have seen flowering a month ago at southern latitudes. Blues, purples and violets, garlic, and damp areas of yellow marsh marigolds.

Add horsetails, fresh pinecones, dippers, wagtails, clear water and doubtless trout and that's plenty of ingredients. Plus a romantic ruin, and lots of waymarks for stress free pleasure.

A little climb took us up the slopes of blossoming thorns; it has been a good wind-free season for blossom. My navigator thought she heard a cuckoo, but it must have been the heat, or the fact we were standing on Cuckoo Hill watching a pair of buzzards soar above the edge. Reeth came up without much notice, we got back to the greens as the church bell struck four.

Directions:

When in doubt look at the map. Check your position at each point. Keep straight on unless otherwise directed.

1. Leave village on Reeth road, over bridge, 50 yards, squeezer on left, 1 o'clock, squeezer, 10 o'clock, squeezer and right by wall, gate, squeezer to road, 50 yards.

2. Track on left, rejoins road (dead-end), tarmac changes to track near White House and continue uphill.

3. Through fieldgate at top and left (wall on left).

4. Fieldgate in 50 yard stretch of wall where it dog-legs right then left, grassy path at 11 o'clock gently downhill, spoil heaps (cairns), path steeper downhill.

5. Path joins wall, 50 yards, gate on left (signed), through field to walled track. Fieldgate by house, left to track, right fork to fieldgate by second house, left across field (signed), gateway, field, fieldgate and fork right to riverside path.

6. At wood, path swings from river into wood. Stile in pines, path now on edge of wood (fingerpost) and uphill straight through fields to house (sometimes wall to right).

7. Cross track to gateway behind house, field, 50 yards, fallen wall (spot mark), across field, gate, path downhill, pass ruined house, 200 yards.

8. Stone gateway (old fingerpost) and fork left to path uphill which leaves river and bends right after about 25 yards, ignore right forks and stay on stone path.

9. Squeezer by fieldgate on right, downhill (arrows), squeezer, squeezer and left, squeezer by trees, left of two fieldgates, squeezer and right to road.

Fact file:

Distance: Seven miles.

Time: Four hours.

General location: Northern Dales.

Start: Reeth.

Right of way: The complete route is along public rights of way.

Date walked: Wednesday May 26 2004.

Road route: From Richmond, A6108 then B6270.

Car parking: Roadside in Reeth (Honesty Box), and at Dales Centre (free).

Lavatories: Reeth.

Refreshments: Inns and teashops in Reeth. CB Inn, Arkengarthdale.

Tourist & public transport information: National Parks Visitors' Centre, Reeth 01748 884059.

Map: Based on OS Explorer OL30 Yorkshire Dales northern and central.

Terrain: High Ridge.

Points of interest: Swaledale Festival till 13 June 2004

Difficulty: Climb of 800 feet.

Dogs: Suitable.

Please observe the Country Code and park sensibly. While every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers set out at their own risk.

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 16:12 Friday, June 04, 2004